NCAHF Manifesto

Mentally competent adults should be able to choose to follow any health practices they wish or refuse treatment, however, children have the right to grow up to an age where they may make free choices, therefore, children should have access to rational, responsible health care.
NCAHF recognizes that a certain amount of the principle of Caveat Emptor (i.e., "let the buyer beware") must always exist in the health marketplace; however, whenever possible the more socially responsible concept of Caveat Vendor (i.e., "let the seller beware") should supersede it.

Political, religious and other ideological concepts should be given full freedom of expression; but, claims which are capable of scientific verification (ie, demonstration before qualified people) should be tested before becoming the objects of commercial promotion.
Health books and magazines should be subject to the same standards as labeling, advertising and other forms of commercial language. Short of this, health books and magazines that advance suggestions for lifestyle should have prominently displayed on both covers and at strategic points within the warning that the ideas presented may not be scientifically valid and readers are warned that they apply them at their own peril. And, further, that this warning does not exempt the author or publisher from liability should readers be harmed by following the advice given.
Consumers should be fully informed when they are being given diagnostic procedures, prescriptions or therapies that have not been proven valid or effective for the condition for which they are applied, and should not be required to pay for experimental products or services.

All health care providers should be governed by a single regulatory entity made up mainly of persons qualified in consumer protection law, the health sciences and ethics. Professionals representation on such regulatory boards should be limited to an advisory capacity.
Providers convicted of consumer protection law violations should not be permitted to practice or operate while their cases are under appeal. Once convicted such entities should have lost the presumption of innocence and now have the burden of proof that they are not guilty.
NCAHF does not help professional societies defend their turf. NCAHF requires only that providers be competent, rational (i.e., scientific) and responsible (i.e., honest, forthright and accountable for misbehavior).
Practicing medicine without a license should be a felony. Present laws that limit practicing medicine without a license only to cases in which bodily harm has occurred are inadequate and biased toward protecting offenders rather than victims. Such laws ignore indirect harm that may result from keeping patients from proper care. Such laws also place the burden of proof upon the innocent to prove that harm was done.

This page was posted on December 1, 2000.